Return of Greninja: United
by Alexandria Prime
Summary: *Rewrite* after Ash finds a mysterious Z-Crystal on Akala Island, he receives a message from Zygarde; Greninja has been kidnapped by Team Skull and the escaped members of Team Flare. Join Ash, his new friends, and several old ones as he rushes to Kalos to rescue his friend... and perhaps reveal a few new surprises!
1. Just a Dream- or Vision?

**So, I decided to rewrite this. It just didn't really sit right with me. Also, I've been wanting Greninja to use a special Z-Crystal after reading Epicocity's Alolan Trilogy. It was just so cool! So, big thank you for giving me inspiration!**

 **And don't worry, I'll still add Serena at the end. But I hope you guys enjoy this new version of- The Return of Greninja: United!**

 **This time, it mostly takes place before Ultra Adventures start. And, Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon!**

 _[Alkala Island- few months previously]_

Ash rode along on the back of his Stoutland, Pikachu perched on his shoulder. After that treasure hunt with the rest of the class, he wanted to do a little of exploring of his own. He had also asked Lana for directions to the cave where she had found the Z-Ring stone and was now heading there to see if he could find anything interesting.

"That should be it, right buddy?" asked Ash, pointing to the cave that they were approaching.

"Pi-ka!" agreed Pikachu, his tail swishing slightly in excitement.

"Alright, Stoutland, take us in!" He nudged the Big-Hearted Pokemon forward, and it walked into the cave. As soon as they walked through, the Stoutland started sniffing the ground, as if it was trying to find something.

As they made their way deeper into the cave, Ash happened to glance at the right side of the cave wall, where he saw several deep scratches in the wall. "That must've been where Lana found her Z-Ring, right buddy?" said Ash, pointing to the wall. Pikachu hopped off for a few seconds before confirming it.

Suddenly, Stoutland darted towards the left side of the cave, a little ways away from the scratches and sniffed a small spot before starting to dig. "What is it?" asked Ash.

When Stoutland finally stopped, it stepped back, giving a small bark of triumph. Ash slid off of it's back and bent down, before giving a shocked gasp...

 **()**

"Where's Ash?" asked Mallow as they stepped outside.

"I think he went to go exploring," said Sophocoles, "He took a Stoutland with him."

"Well, let's hope he gets back soon," said Kiawe as their Pokemon- including Ash's Rowlet, Litten, and Rockruff- rushed around the Pokemon Center where they were staying, "Class will be starting in a bit."

"Hey guys!"

Everyone turned as Ash and Pikachu and their Stoutland came running up the trail. "Where were you Ash?" said Mallow, a slight scolding tone in her voice.

"Treasure hunting," he replied. "Did you find anything?" asked Lillie, picking up Snowy.

"Let me put up Stoutland first." Everyone followed Ash to the Stoutland stables, where Ash unsaddled and fed the dog-like Pokemon. As the Stoutland started to eat, Sophocoles said, "Well? Don't keep us in suspense! Did you find anything?"

Ash nodded and dug into his pocket for a bit, finally pulling out something. Everyone's eyes went wide in shock.

Ash held a Z-Crystal in his right hand, one they hadn't seen before. It was blue and red, and the symbol in the center was a dark gray bold X with a small circle in the middle of it. "Where'd you find it?" finally asked Lana and Kiawe.

"Same cave where you found your Z-Ring Stone," Ash said, looking at Lana.

"If you had found that during our class yesterday," said Kiawe, "You probably would've won the second round."

"I wonder what kind of Z-Crystal it is?" said Sophocoles, as Ash held it up to the dim light of the stable.

"Well," said Lillie, "It's blue, so that suggests that it could be a Water-type Pokemon."

"Yeah, but it's also red," said Kiawe, "That means it could be a fire type! But who ever heard of a Pokemon that's a Water-type and a Fire-type Pokemon?"

Both Lillie- and Ash- said at the same time, "I have."

"Really?" said Sophocoles skeptically.

 _*A Pokemon that is a Water-type and a Fire-type?_ * said Rotom in amazement, _*The possibility of that being real is at least 28 percent true!*_

"Then I don't think you're Pokedex has been updated enough, although I don't think many people know about him," Ash directed at the Rotomdex. Then he turned to the group and said, "When I was traveling in the Kalos region," he explained, "Me and my friends met the Mythical Steam Pokemon, Volcanion. He really didn't like us at first."

"Pika-pika," agreed Pikachu.

"You've met Volcanion?" Lillie said in amazement.

"Yeah." Ash said, "He and the rest of the Pokemon that were with him finally trusted us after we rescued one of the Pokemon that lived with them. It was a pretty crazy adventure, but I've had those before."

"So you've told us," said Kiawe, chuckling slightly.

"Alola!" The class turned to see Professor Kukui and Kahuna Olivia standing at the entrance to the stable. "Alola!" the class said in return.

'Where exactly have you been, Ash?" asked Kukui, "You weren't in bed this morning."

"Treasure hunting. Look what I found in a cave!" Ash showed them the Z-Crystal.

"I've never seen that kind of Z-Crystal before," said Olivia, "Incredible."

"I have heard of Z-Crystals that only work with certain kinds of Pokemon," said Kukui, "Ash, I think you may have found one of those kinds of Z-Crystals."

"So, which Pokemon is it for?" asked Lillie as Ash put it down so that the rest of his Pokemon could see it.

"I don't know," said Kukui, "How about you keep a hand on that until we know what kind of Pokemon that's for."

"Right." said Ash. As he looked at the Z-Crystal, he looked at the small symbol inside and felt a small sensation of deja-vu. Had he seen this symbol before?

 _Suddenly, the scene shifted. Ash suddenly felt like he was sitting in water, with more water around him. Voices and Pokemon called out, ones that he recognized._

 _Alain and his Mega-Charizard X..._

 _Sawyer and his Sceptile..._

 _Then, he heard the footsteps, walking away from him. He looked up, recognizing the frog-like Pokemon that was walking away from him. He quickly stood up, trying to yell, but with no voice coming out of his mouth. As soon as he got close, the Pokemon dissolved into water and he stopped, his cap falling off of his head._

 _As a tear streamed down his cheek and splashed into the water that swirled around his feet, a funnel of water suddenly sprang up. He shielded his eyes from the water, and when it cleared, he lowered his arms, recognizing the Pokemon in front of him._

 _It was a Greninja, but resembling Ash. The crest on top of his head was red, and the fins that poked out behind his head were black. His glowing red eyes had small white triangles above them, and several messy looking spikes with red stripes jutted out behind them. His chest was a circle with a dark blue point jutting down the middle of it, with another white point at the bottom of the circle. And across his back was a massive shurikan made of glowing and rippling water._

 _Ash gave a sigh of relief, rushing forward and hugging the familiar Pokemon, whose arms wrapped around his trainer. For a while, Ash and Greninja stood there, hugging each other tightly._

 _Then, Greninja fell to his knees, nearly dragging Ash down with him._

 _Ash was slightly relieved to hear his voice as he asked, "Greninja, what's wrong?"_

 _He suddenly became aware of a warmth on his left wrist, and when he looked, his Z-Ring was glowing brightly, with the mysterious Z-Crystal that he had found on Alkala Island shining with an unetheral light._

 _Ash turned and looked back at Greninja, wanting to ask what was happening, but a voice stopped him. Greninja looked up at him, and said, in a voice that resonated around his head, "_ Ash... Help me! _"_

 _[Present time- two days after returning from Kanto]_

Ash sat up, a scream nearly ripping out of his throat. He looked around the loft, breathing heavily from his nightmare. Pikachu was still asleep, currently resting on top of Lycanroc, who was curled up at the foot of Ash's bed. Litten was sleeping on the small chair next to Rotomdex, and Rowlet, as usual, was sleeping in Ash's backpack.

Ash finally managed to slow his breathing, then, he walked over to his backpack, careful not to disturb the Quill Pokemon that slept inside of it. He pulled out of the side pocket a small bag where he kept all of his Z-Crystals. He finally pulled out the blue and red crystal, looking at it and finally asking a silent question to the one Pokemon that couldn't hear him currently. "Greninja?"

 **()**

As everyone ate breakfast- or in Rotom's case, watched TV- Ash didn't exactly eat his breakfast with the usual vigor that he had. He was too busy thinking about his dream last night. Or maybe it was a vision. Last time he had a dream like that was when he first met Azelf.

Feeling like someone was staring at him, he looked up to see Professor Kukui looking at him with a slight worry in his eyes. "Are you all right Ash?" asked the professor.

"Just thinking," replied the trainer. All of his Pokemon looked up at that. Even Rotom looked up from the TV screen, where he was watching his usual detective program. Whenever Ash said he was thinking, that usually meant that something was really bothering him.

"What is it?" finally asked Kukui.

"A dream I had last night," said Ash. Turning to Pikachu, he asked his partner, "Hey, Pikachu, you remember Greninja, right?"

"Pika-Pika!" confirmed Pikachu.

Ash dug in his pockets for a second and pulled out the mysterious Z-Crystal. "I think I know what kind of Pokemon this is for now."

"Really?" said Kukui, "Then I'm guessing it's not Volcanion, right?"

Ash nodded. "I think it's for Greninja."

 _*But Greninja is not a dual Water and Fire type,*_ said Rotom in confusion, _*And with the Z-Crystal being blue and red, that suggests that the Pokemon has to be a Water/Fire type.*_

"That Z-Crystal has been on everyone's minds for a while, Ash," said Kukui, "How about at school you say why you think it could be for a Greninja, alright?"

Ash nodded, then went back to eating breakfast, but every once in a while, his vision strayed to the crystal and his thoughts back to his dream. Why did he have that dream?

 **()**

 _[Pokemon School]_

"Class," Professor Kukui announced, "Ash may have an idea as to what kind of Pokemon that the Z-Crystal he found responds to." Everyone looked at Ash as he said, "I think the Z-Crystal responds to Greninja."

"But, Greninja's aren't a Water and Fire type Pokemon," said Lillie.

"Why do you think it's a Greninja, Ash?" asked Kiawe, looking confused.

"Well, two reasons," said Ash, "One is that I had a Greninja before. He was one of my most powerful Pokemon in my Kalos team. We had this really cool ability called a Bond Phenomenon. Professor Sycamore said that it was a rare evolution that happened every three-hundred years or so. Whenever we triggered it, it was like we became one. During the finals of the Kalos League, we summoned this huge firey Water Shurikan. Now that I think about it, that could have been a Z-Move."

"Wow." said Sophocoles after a few moments, "You are just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"And, what about the second reason?" asked Professor Kukui, "Would that have to do with why you were acting a bit strange this morning?"

Ash nodded. Then, he explained the dream that he had had the night before.

Sophocoles still seemed a little bit skeptical. "Just because you had a dream about one of your Pokemon and that Z-Crystal glowing doesn't mean that your Greninja is the one that can use it. Greninja's are Water and Dark type Pokemon. Right, Rotom?"

 _*Correct!*_ said the floating Pokedex. It projected Greninja's profile on it's screen and quoted, _*Greninja. The Ninja Pokemon, and the final evolved form of Froakie. A Water and Dark type. Greninja can compress water into sharp-edged throwing stars. With the grace of a ninja, it slips in and out of sight to attack from the shadows.*_ After it's screen turned normal again, it said, _*Besides, basing a theory on a dream is extremely illogical.*_

Ash appeared to be thinking for a few seconds before saying, "When I was traveling in Sinnoh, I had a dream about the Pokemon Azelf choosing me. And a while later, me and Azelf worked together to help calm down Dialga and Palkia. Besides, with me, any dream like this usually comes true... What?" He happened to notice everyone looking at him strangely. "Okay." said Mallow, "Maybe Ash having a dream about a Pokemon that he has a bond with and a Z-Crystal glowing could come true."

"I'm thinking that maybe we should talk to Hala before we come up with anything real definitive yet." said Kukui, "We don't really have a lesson today either, so we could go right now."

"If it'll make you guys feel better," said Ash, shrugging slightly and standing up.

And with that, the class headed for Iki Town to talk to Kahuna Hala.

Meanwhile, across the ocean, strange things and evil was at work...

 **()**

Two small green figures watched from the trees in horror and anger as a Pokemon was dragged roughly into a truck. As the truck drove away, one of them turned to the other. _"Do you know where they may be headed?"_ it asked. It almost resembled a green blob, with one white eye and a red crystal in its middle.

" _I thought I heard something about the Alola Region,"_ replied its companion. It resembled it, except the crystal in it's middle was blue. _"Something about Team Skull and a man named Faba."_

" _Didn't Greninja say something about his trainer being in that region?"_ said the red crystaled one.

The blue crystaled one nodded and told it's companion, _"Squishy, I believe we should send word to Tapu Koko. He did tell us that he chose Ash to help deal with the coming storm, correct?"_

" _Which means that Tapu Koko could tell Ash that Greninja is in danger!"_ realized Squishy. He quickly turned to one of the Zygarde Cells next to him and said, _"We must speak with Tapu Koko! Quickly!"_

The Cell gave a small shudder and after a bit, a projected image of the entrance of the Ruins of Conflict appeared in front of them. After a few minutes, a familiar yellow, orange and black Pokemon appeared in front of them. _"You called for me?"_ asked the guardian deity.

" _You must pass a message to your champion,"_ said Squishy, _"His partner is heading to his region. He might have already sent a message to him, but you must confirm it! Whatever Team Flare and Team Skull and Faba have in store for Greninja, it may not be good!"_

Tapu Koko nodded and its image faded. _"Now what?"_ asked Squishy's friend.

" _Now, Zygarde,"_ said Squishy, _"We follow the truck and see where it will head. Perhaps we can get Greninja rescued before they reach the port."_

" _And how exactly will we do that?"_ asked Zygarde.

" _We call in backup. We are close to Lumious City. I will try to find Bonnie and her brother. Can you follow them and find out where they are headed?"_

" _I can."_ Instantly, the two Pokemon summoned more Cells, going into their 10% forms before bounding into the forest, one headed after the trucks, the other towards the nearby city.

There was little time left.

 **Yeah, I am really liking the start of this story better than the other one. We're not doing the rescue just yet, but it will be coming soon.**

 **And don't worry, everyone! Ash will rescue Greninja! Until next time!**


	2. Some Assembly Required

_[Kahuna Hala's house]_

The class was currently in Kahuna Hala's house. While the Pokemon (Except Pikachu, who was sitting on Ash's lap) played around with Hariyama, the class and Professor Kukui explained to the older man about the Z-Crystal and Ash's dream about Greninja asking for help.

After telling Hala about Ash's dream, he seemed to think hard for a few seconds. Then, he turned to the class and said, "Ash says that he's had dreams like these before. And with how serious this dream appears to be, then I believe that we shouldn't ignore this."

"But then the question remains," said Kukui, "Why did Greninja send that message?"

"It could only mean one thing, Kukui," said Hala. He turned to Ash and asked, "Has anyone ever gone after you or Greninja because of the bond that you share?"

Ash replied without hesitation. "Team Flare. After the Kalos League, their leader, Lysandre, captured me and Greninja. He even tried to control us with Mega Evolution Energy, but it didn't work. But it couldn't be them. Last I heard, their main leaders were in prison. And Lysandre's... uhhhh... I'll tell you later. But anyway, if it was them, I'm pretty sure that Champion Diantha would tell me if any of them had gotten out."

"You haven't been home for a while, Ash," said Mallow, "It might have happened when we were traveling back to Alola. That took us like, what? Three days?"

"And since nobody could call us," said Sophocoles, "Diantha probably couldn't tell you."

"But we aren't even sure if it is humans," said Lillie, "As far as we know, Greninja could've gotten into a fight with a Legendary Pokemon."

"Like who?" said Ash, sounding slightly sarcastic, "Kyurem?" At the looks everyone gave him, he said, "What? I've met Kyurem. Twice. And he is no pushover. No." He raised his hand, "If Greninja's in danger, then it has to be humans."

"But who-?" Lillie started to ask, but was interrupted by a loud, _Kokoooooooo!_ from outside. Everyone stood up and rushed outside, where Ash and Pikachu came face to face with the Guardian Diety of Melemele Island, Tapu Koko.

"Tapu Koko? To what do we owe the honor?" asked Hala as everyone gave a small respective bow.

Tapu Koko floated directly in front of Ash, it's vibrant blue eyes looking directly at him. It suddenly darted forward, snatching the red and blue Z-Crystal from Ash's pants, then, it held it up in front of him.

Ash stared at the Z-Crystal for a few seconds, staring hard at the dark grey X in the center of it. "That does trigger for a Greninja, doesn't it?" he asked Tapu Koko.

The Land Spirit Pokemon nodded. Then, one of it's beaked hands reached forward until the Z-Crystal rested in the slot on Ash's Z-Ring. The moment the Z-Crystal was put in, an image flashed in Ash's mind.

 _He was standing at the entrance of the Ruins of Confilct, staring at a patch of green mist that was on the ground. There were two images inside of it. They were Pokemon he recognized- Squishy and Zygarde._

" _You must pass a message to your champion,"_ _Squishy was saying,_ _"_ _His partner is heading to his region. He might have already sent a message to him, but you must confirm it! Whatever Team Flare and Team Skull and Faba have in store for Greninja, it may not be good!"_

As soon as the image faded, Ash stepped back, reeling slightly. "It is Team Flare." he said, turning to the rest of them, "Tapu Koko got a message from Squishy and Zygarde a couple of minutes ago. Greninja got captured by Team Flare and Team Skull!"

Everyone was staring in shock at Ash and Pikachu for a few moments, then Lillie ventured, "Uh... Squishy?"

"Nickname of a Zygarde Core I know. Professor Kukui," he turned to him, "I think we need to get to Kalos. Now."

"I'll send a message to Professor Sycamore and explain the situation," said Kukui. He and Hala turned to go into the house, but the Kahuna turned around again. "Ash," he said, "Even by plane, it will take you too long to get to Kalos. You'll lose valuable time."

Ash nodded. He appeared to be thinking hard about his predicament. Suddenly, a knowing gleam entered his eye. "Don't worry, Kahuna Hala," he said, "I've got an idea.

"I might need to borrow a phone though."

 **()**

 _*Ashkan! Pikan!*_ came the happy voice from the phone screen. A Hoopa danced in front of it, joined by a man and a woman with older looking clothes.

"Good to see you again, Hoopa, Baraz, Meray," said Ash, "I only wish things were a little bit more peaceful."

 _*What's up, Ash?*_ asked Baraz.

The younger boy quickly explained the situation about Greninja being captured. _*We already recieved word from Clemont and Bonnie,*_ said Meray, _*We were about to head out when you called.*_

"Squishy got to them, then?" he asked. The two older trainers nodded and Hoopa said, _*Hoopa will be happy to bring over Ashkan and Pikan! It's the least Hoopa can do for him!*_

"Thank's Hoopa," said Ash, "I'm also gonna be bringing over a couple of friends too. We'll need all the help we can get if we're gonna stop Team Flare and Team Skull!"

 _*When should Hoopa pull you over?*_ asked the Mischief Pokemon.

"Two hours," said Ash, "Then do the portal right here." He got out of the way of the phone screen so that Hoopa could see Halas living room. "As soon as we're through, plot a course straight to the Lumious City Gym, alright?"

 _*Okay!*_ said Hoopa. Then, the call ended.

"Ashkan?" asked Kukui, coming in.

"Sorry," said Ash, "Hoopa calls me that. Don't know why."

"So, Kiawe just left a few minutes ago to tell his parent's what's happening," said Kukui, "And hopefully, the others will be back any minute."

"Well," said Ash, walking over to the box that Kukui had just brought in, "Might as well get ready myself."

 _[Less than two hours later]_

Everyone was back at Hala's house, waiting for Ash to come out of a small side room. As Kiawe came in, he said, "My parent's said that it was alright. But I'll probably need to be back in a few days."

"Where's Ash?" asked Lillie.

"Right here!"

Everyone turned and looked at Ash in shock.

His t-shirt and capri's and blue tennis shoes were gone. They were replaced with a blue and white light hoodless jacket over a grey and black shirt. He wore red, black, and white traveling shoes over dark blue jeans. His cap was still red and white, but it did not have a blue rim, and the symbol on top was shaped more like a Pokeball. And over his black and red fingerless gloves sat his Z-Ring. His clothes looked a little worn, like he had traveled in them, but still looked neat.

"Nice clothes," said Sophocoles.

"Thanks," said Ash, "It's what I wore for Kalos."

"You actually look a little bit older," said Lana.

Ash shrugged, then turned to see a large gold ring appear in the center of the room, filled with swirling blue enegy. A familiar head poked through and said, "Ashkan! You here?"

"We're ready, Hoopa," Ash responded. "C'mon guys! Let's go!"

 **()**

Clemont, the gym leader of the Lumious City Gym, paced anxiously close to the entrance to the gym, his round glasses sliding slighly down his nose. Bonnie, his little sister, was waiting on a bench close by, her legs swinging underneath her seat. On her lap was a small yellow purse with a Dedenne and Squishy, with the Legendary looking a little impatient.

A jeep came driving up. Out of it came Professor Sycamore, Alain, and Marin, who was holding Chespie, her Chespin. Alain was fingering the Keystone on his left wrist, which was held in a white bracelet. "Not here yet?" asked Alain.

Clemont shook his head. "We should be lucky that he thought of Hoopa," said Professor Sycamore, "Othewise, we would've already lost Greninja."

"I just wish Diantha could've come," said Alain, "but she already found a Team Flare cell being led by a few escapees."

"Meray did say that Ash was bringing help though," said Clemont, "And a little helps better than none. Besides, Ash will be having a few more Pokemon on his team besides the one he currently has in Alola, so we've got plenty of help."

"Speaking of Ash," said Bonnie, pointing to the golden ring that was materializing in front of the gym doors. A group of people stepped out, with a familliar figure with a Pikachu on his shoulder in the front. "Ash!" yelled Bonnie, rushing forward. Squishy hopped out of her bag, deciding not to be crushed.

"Bonnie! Hey!" Ash hugged the young girl as she flew into his arms and Pikachu hopped down to hug Dedenne, "Good to see you again!"

"You too!" said Bonnie.

Suddenly, the gym doors opened, and out came four Pokemon. Ash gave a happy yell and called out, "Hawlucha! Talonflame! Noivern! Goodra! What are you guys doing here?" Everyone quickly got out of the way as Noivern and Hawlucha hugged their trainer happily.

"We contacted Professor Oak and told him the situation," said Professor Sycamore, coming forward, "It's good to see you again Kukui. Still see you haven't found a shirt to match that coat."

"What can I say?" said Kukui, striding forward and shaking hands with the Kalos Professor, "Alola's warm."

After releasing his Alolan team to meet with his Kalos one, (the four Kalos Pokemon were looking at Rowlet a little bit strangely, but Talonflame and Litten appeared to be getting along just fine) Ash asked, "No Diantha?"

"She found the rest of Team Flare," said Alain, "So, shall we get going?"

"Before we do," said Clemont. He walked over to his backpack and pulled out a box full of coin-shaped objects. "We're gonna need these. As far as we know," he said, passing them out, "Team Flare has already gotten their hands on Mega Evolution energy. And we know what that can do."

Ash nodded. He picked up one of the objects and placed it underneath one of his gloves. He looked at the red and blue Z-Crystal on his Z-Ring, but decided to leave it. He had a feeling that he would need it if Greninja was up for it.

"What do these do?" asked Sophocoles, holding one of them up as the Alolans placed the devices on them and their Pokemon.

"They help negate the Mega Evolution energy," explained Clemont, "I came up with them after the Kalos Crisis incident. It came in really handy when the Team Flare scientist, Xerostic, tried to use some to control me."

"How did you come up with something like this?" said Sophocoles, looking at Clemont with stars in his eyes.

"Oh, great," Bonnie, Mallow and Lana said at the same time, "Two science geeks."

"Squishy?" Ash turned to the Zygarde Core and asked, "Do you know where Greninja is right now?"

" _Zygarde is currently following the truck,"_ said Squishy, _"He should know where they are."_ He closed his one eye and appeared to be concentrating. "Anything Squishy?" asked Bonnie.

Squishy was quiet for a few seconds, then, he appeared to sag slightly. _"I'm sorry, Ash,"_ said Squishy, looking at the teenager, _"They made it out to open sea."_

"No problem," said Ash. He turned to Hoopa and asked, "You think you can pull those ships here?"

"Sure can, Ashkan!" said Hoopa, "Where to?"

"The flatlands outside of Anistar City should be good," said Sycamore, "they won't even have any water to launch their boats from."

Before any of them could comment on that, Ash suddenly doubled over in pain. "Ash! What's wrong?" said Clemont, looking from his talk with Sophocoles to his friend.

"I... I don't know," said Ash, gasping for breath, "It almost felt like when Lysandre used Mega Evolution energy on me and Greninja."

Everyone froze when they realized what that could've been. Then, Hoopa sprang into action;

"Allèhooparing!" he yelled. All three of his rings came off of his small body and activated. Everyone quickly rushed through to the flatlands by Anistar City. As soon as everyone was through, Hoopa put the rings up and Baraz pulled out a purple and silver bottle. When Hoopa nodded, he pulled off the horned and eyed lid, allowing something to shoot out and engulf Hoopa. When it faded, the Alolans gasped when they saw Hoopa's Unbound Form.

"Now, Ashkan?" asked Hoopa, his deep voice rumbling slightly.

"Now, Hoopa!" replied Ash.

Hoopa allowed all of its six arms to come out, and all the rings floated off. They floated to a stop a little ways away from the group. When they opened, five medium-sized speedboats came flying out, as well as a larger boat that was the size of a medium-sized houseboat. The people on board- they could all distinguish the colors of both Team Flare and Team Skull- looked around, slightly dazed after what had happened. But someone noticed the group.

"You!" Ash recognized the purple-haired lady from Terminus Cave. Beside her was a brown haired Team Flare member, who also seemed to recognize them. Ash noticed that Clemont, Bonnie, Marin and Alain stiffened.

"Yeah! Me!" retorted Ash, "Where's Greninja?"

The lady looked a little startled, but then raised a hand to the side of her visor and smirked as she listened to someone. And even though no one could see her eyes, the look that she cast them put shivers down everyones spines and made the Pokemon tense. "Right here." she replied. She snapped her fingers.

Ash's eyes widdened with horror when the side of the boat opened. a figure, radiating red energy, came walking out. A figure that Ash recognized.

"Greninja," he said in horror, "What did they do to you?"

 **Yeah, I know. Cliffhanger. Fine me. (Get it?) I really wanted to involve Hoopa again. And plus, I didn't know how else they were gonna catch up with Team Flare in time.**

 **And also, Greninja being controlled by the ME energy. I had to make it a little bit dificult. But don't worry. He'll be fine in a bit. (Maybe next chapter, maybe not. I don't know) Hope you're all enjoying this like I am!**


	3. Battle for Freedom

"What did they do to you?" Ash said in horror. Even all of Ash's Kalos Pokemon were looking at their friend in horror.

In front of them was Ash's Greninja, now radiating red energy. His movements were stiff and jerky, like he was trying to learn how to walk. And every once in a while, his eyes would flash with pain and anger, though if it was towards them, they didn't know.

"Now what?" asked Lillie as Snowy took a protective stance in front of her.

Clemont looked up at the lead ship. Already, the Team Flare and Team Skull grunts were piling off of it. "We need to get inside." said Clemont, "Then, we could destroy the equipment that's controlling Greninja. That would give us an even more level playing field."

"Clemont, could you and some of the others handle that?" asked Ash, turning to his inventor friend.

Clemont nodded, then motioned to Sophocoles, Lillie, Lana, Marin and Rotomdex. They quietly slipped into the portal that Hoopa made for them as Ash barked out some more commands. "Everyone else, handle Team Flare and Team Skull. Me and my Pokemon will help Greninja."

Everyone nodded, although his remaining classmates and Professor Kukui looked at Ash with a little bit of surprise in their eyes. They hadn't seen this side of their friend before.

"On it Ash!" yelled Bonnie, "Squishy! Show them what you've got!" Squishy bounded out of her purse and flashed a bright green. Bright green lights shot out of nowhere, aiming for the Zygarde Core. He started to grow and change, and when he stopped glowing, he resembled a dog-like creature with black fur, white eyes, green skin and a green colar with a red gem in the middle.

Professor Sycamore and Alain were also making their moves. They tossed out two Pokeballs, which let out a Garchomp and a Charizard. Mega Stones were visible around their necks. "Mega Evolve!" they yelled, touching their Keystones.

"GO!" yelled Ash. Everyone rushed forward as the army charged, with the teenager making a bee-line straight for Greninja, who rushed forward to meet him and his Pokemon head-on.

"Lycanroc! Acelerock!" yelled Ash. Lycanroc glowed a bright white color and rushed forward, slamming into Greninja's middle. The Ninja Pokemon skidded back, then formed two Water Shurikans, aiming them straight at the Wolf Pokemon.

"Noivern! Boomburst!" Ash yelled. The Soundwave Pokemon's ears glowed, and a concussive wave of wind struck the Water Shurikans, diverting them from their course and causing them to slam into a Team Flare Pokemon, instantly knocking it out.

"Litten! Ember than Fire Fang! Then Talonflame, Flame Charge!" The Kitten Pokemon charged forward, sending a ball of fire straight at Greninja, then, he leapt straight through the flames with a Fire Fang, sinking it into Greninja's arm as Talonflame darted forward and slammed into Greninja's side with a small, sorry sounding, "Flame." to his friend after he pulled back, grabbing Litten in his talons as Litten let go, narrowly dodging a Night Slash from Greninja.

"So, he learned Night Slash while he was gone?" Ash said to no one in particular, although Squishy did hear him.

" _Yes,"_ said the Order Pokemon as he knocked out two Houndoom with a Dragon Pulse, _"He also knows Power-Up Punch."_

"Oh," said Ash as he watched Greninja rush at Goodra, his fists covered in light. "Goodra! Use Bide!"

Goodra called out as Greninja started pummeling him. As soon as it was charged up, the Dragon Pokemon let out a white beam of energy, which struck Greninja straight in the head. He flew back several yards, finally coming to a stop. Goodra, however, was looking rather tired.

"Talonflame, Litten. Can you two keep on going on?" asked Ash. Talonflame nodded, knowing what Ash was planning. Litten, however, looked a little aprehensive. "If you want to, I can put you back in your Pokeball." Ash pulled out Litten's Pokeball. The Kitten Pokemon nodded, and after a flash of red light, Litten was back in his Pokeball.

Ash turned and yelled to Goodra, "Goodra! Use Rain Dance!" Goodra gave a long yell and storm clouds appeared above them. Goodra gave a happy cry as it got revitalized. Ash's eyes widdened when he saw Greninja shaking his head hard as the rain struck him, and the energy faded a little bit.

 _He's focusing,_ realized Ash, _Clemont, I hope you get to that machine soon._

 **()**

Lillie was trembling slightly in the dark hallway on board the Team Flare flagship. Clemont, Lana and the others seemed perfectly calm. The Electric-type Gym leader had called out an Ampharos and a Luxray once they had stepped inside the ship. Luxray's eyes were gleaming while Ampharos' tail was shining brightly. Lillie guessed that Luxray was looking out for enemies so that they wouldn't get spotted.

Luxray stopped suddenly. "Ray. Luxray." he said to Clemont. The gym leader nodded. "Get ready, guys," he said to them, "Our goal is up ahead."

The rest of them nodded, readying their Pokemon. Marin had called out a white Florges, who looked eager to fight. Popplio, Snowy, and Togedemaru looked eager as well.

When they rounded the corner, they found themselves standing in the middle of a large room. At the far end of it was a massive machine that Clemont instantly recognized. "That's it," he said to them. Then, they focused their attention on the figure close to the machine. A thin man with a goatee and blond hair and wearing red, bug-like goggles and a long black overcoat stood at the base. When he heard Clemont, he turned around. "It seems I have company," he said, a thin smile crossing his face.

"Who are you?" asked Sophocoles.

"My name is not important," he said, "But you may call me, Ultra."

Lillie's head tilted to the side for a second. Why was this man so familiar? Did she know him from somewhere?

"Deactivate the machine," said Clemont, "This is not how science should be used."

"It is in order to fulfill my true leader's dream," he said. "But enough talking. Prepare to fight!" A Pokeball spun out of his hand, releasing an Alakazam, who raised his spoons threatingly.

Rotom's screen flashed. _*Alakazam. The Psi Pokemon. A Psychic type. Alakazam uses its psychic powers to make the spoons it carries. Each spoon is an original that there's only one of it in the world.*_

Clemont instantly sprung into action. "Ampharos, use Dragon Pulse!" Ampharos' mouth opened, unleashing a draconic-looking beam. "Alakazam, use Psyshock!" Alakazam crossed his spoons, unleashing several purple lines which connected with the Dragon Pulse.

"Looks like we're evenly matched." said Ultra as the dust cleared.

Clemont turned to his team and said, "You guys handle the machine. I'll take care of Ultra. As for being evenly matched, good sir." A mechanical arm on his large backpack launched out, with a glittering stone on the back of its round hand. "Ampharos! Mega Evolve!"

Ampharos cried out as the Mega Stone around its neck shone out. When the light faded, Ampahros had changed. Long waves of white hair now fell down it's back and ran along its tail. Several red orbs appeared on its tail and the orb on its head had grown more was also a lighter color, and it's horns now appeared more layered.

Ultra looked slightly unnerved, then, he noticed the other group of teens. "Alakazam. Psychic!" The group, minus Clemont, yelp as they suddenly got lifted from off the floor. "Ampharos! Thunderbolt!" A lightning bolt came out of Ampharos' tail, striking Alakazam quickly. As Ultra turned, Clemont said, "Your fight is with me."

Ultra gave his thin smile again. "You can't turn off the machine," he told the group, "It runs on Mega Evolution energy."

Clemont pulled out another device which resembled a handheld scanner and said, "Which it doesn't have much of. It probably requires a good bit of energy to keep it running and control Greninja at the same time, right?" The gym leader saw Ultra pale as he realized his mistake, then, Clemont yelled, "Just attack it guys! It'll run out of energy sooner or later!"

As the group ordered their Pokemon to attack, Clemont thought, _Hang on, Greninja. Just a little while longer._

 **()**

Ash dodged to the side as Greninja suddenly came at him, his fists glowing with a Power-Up Punch. "Greninja!" he yelled, "I know you can hear me! We've resisted Mega Energy together! I know you can fight this! Concentrate! You can do it!"

The Ninja Pokemon staggered in his attacks, allowing Ash to back up swiftly as Hawlucha Flying Pressed his friend, giving a small "Cha!" of apology.

Greninja's attacks stopped, and he held his head in his hands, the red energy flickering dimly.

The purple-haired lady noticed it. "Ultra!" she yelled in her com-link, "More power!"

 _*I can't!*_ yelled Ultra, _*I'm being attacked right now and that gym-leader just destroyed my controller! The machine itself is being preoccupied!*_

The lady turned. "Drapion! Use-!" Her Drapion was suddenly blasted with bright blue flames, and Alain's Mega Charizard X swiftly landed, continuously blasting flames at the Ogre Scorp Pokemon until it fainted. As she turned, she was delt a vicious Double Slap from Mallow's Steenee. "And stay down!" said Mallow as the lady fell to the ground, her cheeks hurting.

"Looks like it's up to me," said the brown-haired lady. She pulled out a Keystone and ordered a Houndoom, "Mega Evolve!"

As it changed, Ash knelt down in front of Greninja, who looked up at him with fear in his red eyes. "I'm right here," said Ash. He held out his hand and said, "Always."

Greninja looked at the proffered hand, then his own came out. The instant their hands touched, the Team Flare girl yelled, "Flamethrower!"

"Ash! Look out!" yelled Bonnie. before the Flamethrower touched them, a funnel of water appeared around the two. It shot up straight into the air, with the Flamethrower parting around it. When the water collapsed onto Greninja's back, forming into a massive Water Shurikan on his back, the trainer and Pokemon stood up. Greninja no longer had a red glow around his body and he resembled Ash strongly.

They were united again. Ash-Greninja had returned.

Professor Kukui gave a sigh of relief, but he quickly noticed how tired Ash and Greninja looked. It was obvious that Greninja had been hurt pretty badly and was still tired from his ordeal.

"You still won't stand a chance," said the Team Flare girl, "Greninja is still weak from the energy. Even with the powerful evolution that the two of you share, you still don't stand a chance."

Ash looked at the Z-Ring on his wrist, then smiled slightly. _"Guess that's what this is for,_ " he thought.

" _What what's for?"_ came a voice inside his head. Ash whirled around, looking at Greninja, who said very clearly in Ash's mind, _"What? Wait- you can hear me?"_

" _We'll discuss that later,"_ Ash thought back to him. _"Right now, get in front of me and follow my movements this time."_

" _You know what to do?"_

" _Mostly."_

Greninja leapt in front of his trainer, and then Ash yelled, "Here we go!" He crossed his arms across his chest, the Z-Crystal glowing brightly, and the symbol of the X- a Water Shurikan, which now shone pure white- then lowered his arms to his sides, then crossed them in front of them again. Greninja copied his movements. They brought their crossed arms over their head and pulled them apart, and they stepped forward. Then, they made a grabbing motion from their backs- Greninja had grabbed his Water Shurikan- and swing forward. Blue and red light sailed from Ash to Greninja, and the shurikan in Greninja's hands glowed orange.

"Our passion, our minds, and our hearts," said Ash as Greninja moved the orange Shurikan in his hands above his head and it began to spin, "together as one! Our hearts united! Hotter than a flame! Running faster than a river! SCORCHING SHURIKAN!"

Greninja yelled and launched the glowing shurikan at the Mega Evolved Houndoom. The shurikan moved too fast before it could do anything, and when the dust settled, Houndoom had reverted back to it's original form. And before the girl could react too, Steene had Double Slapped her as well. "Great job, Steenee!" said Mallow.

"Stee-nee!" said the Fruit Pokemon happily.

Although Ash felt like collapsing as soon as their form reverted, he staggered over to Greninja, who, once he had returned to normal, had fallen to the ground, trembling. Noivern walked over to help Ash over as Hawlucha and Goodra turned their friend over. Greninja's breath was coming in gasps, and he was trembling badly.

Ash sat down beside his friend's head, pulling it up and allowing it to rest on his lap. "Greninja?" he asked, a hand pressed against Greninja's shoulder.

While the remainer of the Team Flare and Team Skull grunts were being rounded up and Clemont and the others came out of the main ship, (they didn't have Ultra with them. He had teleported away with Alakazam) all of Ash's Pokemon gathered around their trainer.

Greninja finally opened his eyes, looking up at his trainer. _"Ash,"_ he said to him _"I- I can't move. Did I hurt anyone?"_ he asked fearfully.

Ash shook his head and said, "It's going to be okay, buddy. We'll get you back to Lumious and have Professor Sycamore take look at you. You'll be as right as rain soon."

Greninja gave a weak chuckle at Ash's poorly made joke. _"Nothing's right with rain,"_ he said before his eyes closed and his breathing deepened.

"Is he alright?" asked Professor Sycamore, coming forward with Garchomp back to normal.

"He's pretty bad," replied Ash, "We should get him back to your lab."

Sycamore nodded as Goodra and Noivern picked up the unconcious Pokemon, alying him across Garchomp's broad back. The Kalos Professor then turned to the nearby Hoopa and asked him, "Hoopa. Could you give us a ring jump back to my lab? You have been there before, right?"

Hoopa, back in it's Confined form nodded, then turned to Ash and said, "Ashkan? Will you and Greenin be alright?"

Ash chuckled slightly at Hoopa's name for Greninja, then said, "We'll be fine. Could you get us to Professor Sycamore's lab now?"

Hoopa nodded, then opened a ring to the lab. "We'll stay here for a bit and clean up," said Clemont, "You take care of Greninja."

Ash nodded to his friend and said, "Thanks."

"You would've done the same for any of us, Ash," said Clemont, smiling at him.

Kukui elected to come along with Ash and Professor Sycamore so that he could treat the rest of Ash's Pokemon. As soon as they had reached the lab, Ash found himself suddenly leaning against Noivern rather heavily.

Kukui and Sycamore noticed this. "You get some rest, Ash," said Kukui, laying a hand on his shoulder, "We'll take care of Greninja and the rest of the Pokemon for you."

Ash wanted to protest a bit, but he was too tired to argue. So he nodded and allowed Kukui to lead him to a nearby couch, where after taking off his shoes, hat, coat and gloves, fell asleep.

He was pretty certain that he heard Professor Sycamore saying before he went under, "I hope everything stays in one piece this time. Nothing stays in one piece whenever he's around my lab."

 **And we all know that that's true! I hope all you guys are enjoying this. I don't know how many chapters are left for this rewrite. But I promise you guys, once this is over, I'll get started on making the sequal! I promise!**

 **And Serena will be coming! Don't worry!**


	4. In One Piece

_[Professor Sycamore's lab- Lumious City]_

As the group entered through the door, they were greeted by Ash's Pikachu and Professor Kukui. "How's Greninja?" asked Bonnie.

"He should be fine," said Kukui, looking down the hallway towards the main part of the lab, "He's still getting his injuries treated, but he's sleeping right now. Ash too. When he stepped through the ring, he looked like he got hit by a Yawn."

"That bond really tires both of them out," said Clemont, "They really do become one."

"So, will Ash be okay?" asked Lillie.

"He'll be fine," said Kukui, "He could probably be waking up any minute now, actually. Ash's Pokemon are fine too, but Hawlucha in hagging around the door to where Greninja is. Talonflame too. They're really worried about him."

"I'd be worried too," said Kiawe, "After all, if Marowak or Turtonator was hurt badly, I'd want to know if they were going to be okay." Turtonator was standing right behind Kiawe, and he stepped forward and nuzzled the side of Kiawe's face, making his trainer smile a bit as everyone else said that they'd be worried too.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Sophocoles.

"Well," said Professor Kukui, "Professor Sycamore has a small garden in the back with a lot of Pokemon. Want to hang out there for a bit?"

"Sure!" said Mallow, "Let's go, guys!"

Everyone headed down the hall to the back garden as Kukui and Pikachu went back to the lab. The first thing that they saw was that Ash was awake, stretching his arms above his head and looking towards the small medical room where Greninja was. "Sleep well?" asked Kukui.

Ash turned and smiled, saying, "Like a Komala. Is everyone else here?"

"They're in the back garden," the Professor replied.

"And Greninja's alright," said Professor Sycamore, coming out of the medical lab, "He's just trying to get some sleep. Team Flare did a number on him, but he'll be alright."

"Could I see him?" asked Ash. Hawlucha, Talonflame and Pikachu looked at the Kalos Professor with the same question in their eyes. "Alright," said Sycamore. "He'll be awake for a few minutes. I only gave him a bit of sleeping medicine a minute ago. But don't try to tire him out. He needs to rest."

Ash nodded and stood up, walking into the lab with Pikachu, Hawlucha and Talonflame alongside him. When they entered, Greninja's eyes opened a little bit. He was currently curled up on the exam table with a light blanket over him. He smiled and held out a fist to Hawlucha, who returned the fist bump. As Pikachu landed on the table, Ash walked to Greninja's side and laid a hand on his shoulder. "How do you feel?" he asked.

Greninja's new telepathic voice, at least to him, said, _"Feel like I got beaten up by Mega Charizard and run over by a herd of Tauros, but I'll be fine, so you can stop worrying now. You're not my mom."_ Greninja smiled slightly as Ash stifled a chuckle. Hawlucha, Talonflame and Pikachu looked a little confused at their trainer. "Lucha?" asked Hawlucha.

"Gren. Ninja-gren," the Ninja Pokemon said to him, causing all the Pokemon to turn and look at Ash. "Oh. So it's just me?" asked Ash.

" _Looks like it, Ashy-boy,"_ Greninja smirked as Pikachu laughed a bit at the look on Ash's face as it curled into a pout and he said in a grumpy tone, "Where'd you learn that?"

" _I'm not saying, but it is funny."_

Ash looked a little bit grumpy, but then asked, "So, when did you learn telepathy?"

" _You learn a few things when you're hanging around a Legendary Pokemon,"_ replied Greninja, _"But I don't think it's complete telepathy. I think it's only between me and you."_

"So, I'll have your voice stuck in my head for the rest of my life?"

" _Don't worry. It's a two-way connection, so I'll have yours stuck in my head for the rest of my life too."_ Greninja smiled at Ash as he chuckled. Then, the Ninja Pokemon shifted slightly and said, _"I think I'd like to get some sleep now. Don't wake me up unless it's a real emergency. And Team Rocket does not count."_ And with that, Greninja closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Ash smiled and motioned to the rest of his Pokemon. Pikachu carefully leapt off as Talonflame and Hawlucha walked out. Ash gently patted Greninja's shoulder before walking out and decided to head to the garden. He might as well see what his friends were up to.

 **()**

When Ash walked into the garden, he found his classmates happily playing with the Pokemon that lived there. Rotom, of course, was taking pictures of every single Pokemon in the garden. When all of Ash's Pokemon saw their trainer enter, they rushed at him, happily dog-piling him. "Okay guys! I'm alright!" he said, wincing as Lycanroc's rocks rubbed him.

"How do you feel?" asked Lana, getting up from a small group of Water-type Pokemon that Popplio was playing with.

"And how's your Greninja?" asked Sophocoles.

"He's asleep," said Ash, "but he should be fine."

Clemont and Alain stepped forward, greeting Ash. Bonnie wanted to step forward too, but she felt like she was forgetting something, so she kept on thinking.

"That Z-Move was something," said Alain, "It reminded me of the Water Shurikan that you and Greninja used during the finals of the League."

"Yeah," agreed Ash, "but this one was stronger than before. How are you doing Clemont?" he turned to the Gym Leader.

"Doing all right," said Clemont, "Gym's alright too."

"What about... Serena?" Several people couldn't help but notice that Ash's tan skin suddenly seemed a little redder than before.

"She's doing all right," replied Clemont, "As a matter of fact- wait." His eye's suddenly widdened as he remembered something.

Bonnie also remembered it, "OH MY GOSH!" squiealed Bonnie, causing everyone to look at her, "Serena's coming home today! Her plane will be landing in a few hours!"

"What!?" said Ash. Suddenly, all of the Alolans gave each other startled looks. Was Ash not as dense as they thought?

They didn't have time to think on that, unfortunately, as Bonnie grabbed Ash's hand and said, "C'mon! C'mon! C'mon! We can go meet her! C'mon!"

 **()**

Serena stepped off of the escalator, giving a small breath of relief as she started walking down the airport hall. She also started looking around. Clemont and Bonnie said that they would meet her here. They were probably late.

All of those thoughts were banished from her mind as a happy voice yelled, "Serena!" and a small pair of arms wrapped around her waist. Serena smiled and exclaimed, "Bonnie! It's good to see you again!" as she hugged her happily.

"And we're not the only ones here." The blonde-haired girl seemed to have a slight maniacal look on her face. Before Serena could ask what she meant, she saw the group of trainers in front of her, with a certain raven-haired trainer with a Pikachu in the front. "A-ash," she stuttered, feeling her heart beat a little bit quicker when she saw him.

"Hi, Serena," said Ash. He looked a little nervous as well. Pikachu scampered off of his shoulder and leapt into her arms. Serena cuddled him with a smile as she asked, "What are you doing here? I doubt it's to say hi to me."

"That," he said, "is a long story. But before we get to that, I'd like you to meet my friends." He turned to everyone else.

"Hi! I'm Mallow!"

"My name is Lana, and this is Popplio."

"I'm Lillie, and this is Snowy!"

"I'm Sophocoles!"

"I'm Kiawe. Nice to meet you, Serena!" 

"Alola! I'm Professor Kukui. I'm Ash's teacher in the Alola region."

"Are you in a school, Ash?" asked Serena.

"Yeah," Ash admitted, "But I'm learning a few things that I wouldn't learn on a regular journey."

"And... what exactly are you doing here?"

"Well... it goes something like this."

He was pretty certain that he heard Sophocoles whisper to Kiawe, "Is it me, or is Ash trying to look like a Tamato Berry right now?"

 **()**

 _[A few hours later]_

Serena looked through the medical room window at the sleeping Greninja. "He looks a little better," she said, "I can't imagine what he looked like before."

"It was pretty bad," said Professor Sycamore, "but he should be fine soon. He recovers very quickly."

"So, Serena," asked Clemont, "What exactly are you going to do now, since you're done with your journey through Hoenn?"

"I'm not too sure," said Serena, "I don't really want to do Performing just yet. And plus, the Master Class ended a little while ago. It'll be a while before the Showcases start up again."

"Maybe I could offer something," said Kukui, "Just come over this way for a bit."

As they walked out of the room, Sophocoles asked Ash, "So, Ash? What was with all the blushing earlier?"

Ash turned as stiff as a board at that question. "I-I-I have no idea what you're talking about," he said quickly.

"So you're transparent as well as dense," said Mallow, her hands on her hips, a teasing smile on her face, "Honestly, Ash, admit it. You love her."

Ash was definitley as red as a Tamato Berry as he asked in a stammering tone, "Wh-what makes you think I love Serena?"

" _Because you just admitted it! He's in love everybody!"_ When Ash turned to the medical room, he saw Greninja standing in the doorway, a very devious smirk behind his tounge.

"You're lucky no one else can hear you," Ash said, a grumpy look on his face, "And aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

" _I'm better now,"_ said Greninja, _"And plus, I have a feeling something's going to be happening in three... two... one... aaannnd."_

An explosion echoed from the hallway. _"There you go,"_ he said.

"C'mon guys!" yelled Ash. All the trainers and Pokemon rushed out into the hallway, and when they found the cause of the explosion, Ash had to face-palm.

It was Team Rocket. _Again._ They had a big Meowth-Mecha and were focused on Professor Sycamore and Professor Kukui. Serena had already called out Pancham and a Altaria, who had a Mega-Stone hanging around her neck.

" _I said don't wake me up if it's Team Rocket!"_ said Greninja, though whether if it was in a sarcastic tone or an annoyed one, Ash couldn't tell. _"I said wake me up if it was an emergency! And Team Rocket does not count as an emergency!"_

"Lycanroc! Greninja!" Ash called out his two Pokemon, who leapt forward to join Pancham and Altaria.

 _*So we were right!*_ came Jessie's voice, _*The twerp's here in Kalos!*_

 _*And he's with his super-powerful Greninja!*_ said Meowth excitedly, _*This is gonna make the boss so proud of us, that we'll probably be promoted!*_

"He's been hunted enough already!" said Ash, "So what will it be? Do you guys want me to give you a Gigavolt Havoc straight out of Kalos and back to Alola? Or do you want Greninja to do the honors?"

" _Gigantic- what now?"_ Greninja asked Ash.

" _You'll probably see in a few seconds,"_ Ash replied to him. Then, he switched back to normal talk and said, "Though for now, let's do things the old fashioned way. Greninja! Power-Up Punch!"

"Altaria!" yelled Serena, "Use Sky Attack!"

Greninja and Altaria rushed forward, the Ninja Pokemon's hands covered in orange light while the Humming Pokemon shrouded herself in harsh light and dashed forward too. They slammed into the Mecha-Meowth, causing it to stumble back.

 _*Oh yeah?*_ said Meowth, _*Well take dis!*_ the Mecha-Meowth's arm lunged forward, but Greninja and Altaria were able to dodge in time.

"Lycanroc! Use Accelerock! And Hawlucha! Flying Press!" The two Pokemon dashed forward, Lycanroc hitting the mech's middle while Hawlucha spiraled upwards and hit it from the top.

"Pancham! Use Stone Edge!" yelled Serena. The Playful Pokemon rushed forward, slamming his paws into the ground. Massive blue stones appeared, slamming into the Mecha-Meowth and causing it to topple over.

Team Rocket hopped out and Jessie yelled, "Enough of this! Mimikyu! Let's go!" The Disguise Pokemon appeared out of its Luxury Ball and demonic purple flames appeared around it when it saw Pikachu.

" _That... is freaky. Is it trying to copy Pikachu or something?"_ asked Greninja, backing up a bit.

" _I think Rotom said something like that,"_ Ash replied.

"Mariane! Let's go!" yelled James, another Pokeball flashing out. And like all the other times...

"Hey! Get off! This is no time to snuggle!" The Brutal Star Pokemon just held on tightly wih a big smile on her tiny purple face untill several purple bubbles appeared and James knelt to the floor. When Mariane got off, James' purple hair was sticking up in several places and his face was purple and his eyes were wide and yellow.

When he went back to normal, he ordered, "Spike Cannon!"

"Greninja! Block it with Night Slash!" Greninja leapt forward, a purple kunai in his hand. He quickly slashed all the little pins to pieces as Jessie ordered, "Mimikyu! Use Shadow Claw!"

"Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Pikachu rushed forward, meeting Mimikyu's Shadow Claw with his Iron Tail, smashing it back.

"We're not over yet, twerp!" yelled Jessie. But before she could say anything else, something descended from the sky and grabbed them, fastening what appeared to be a jetpack around her waist.

It was Bewear. As she launched into the sky, Team Rocket said, "We're off with a new blast!"

Everyone just stared after them in silence before Greninja asked his trainer, _"Should I ask?"_

" _No."_ replied Ash, _"You shouldn't."_

 **Of course Bewear! It followed them to Kanto, why not to Kalos?**

 **Next chapter will be the last, then it's off to the sequal: Ash and Greninja: Ultra Adventures! And Serena will be in it, but I'll add her in later on, like, before the slumber party definitley.**

 **See you next time, everyone!**


	5. See You in Alola!

**Hey there, guys! Sorry this took me so long. You all know what Writer's Block is like... well, for those of you that type that is.**

 **Guest on July 15, I looked it up. Greninja can use Power-Up Punch.**

 _[Lumious City]_

"Nothing really stays in one piece, does it?" Kukui asked Sycamore as they walked around the city together.

"Not really," said the Kalos Professor with a sigh, "Ash is worse than an Absol. Wherever he goes, trouble usually follows."

"Expecially with Team Rocket after Pikachu," said Kukui, "They follow those two like they got hit with Attract." The two men laughed, then after a short silence, Professor Sycamore asked, "So, what did you want to talk to Serena about?"

"I thought maybe she'd like to go to the Alola region for a while," said Kukui, "Do a few weeks at the Pokemon School. She said that she'd think about it before Team Rocket showed up."

"It would be a good thing for her to do since Showcases won't start up for a while," said Sycamore, "Just sitting around at home and practicing her movements won't really do her any good. I always tell new trainers to get on out there. Do you think she'll accept the offer?"

"It's her choice," said Kukui, "but I think she'll come along. Probably later though."

"And what about Greninja?" The Alolan Professor turned to look at his friend. "What about him?"

"Greninja has pretty much recovered from Team Flare," said Sycamore, "Which means that he and the two Zygardes will be getting out there soon to deal with the remaining Negative Energy."

"Oh," realized Kukui. "That probably explains why Ash has been silent for a while. He doesn't want to part with Greninja again."

Sycamore nodded. Then, the two of them continued with their walk towards the lab.

 **()**

 _[Professor Sycamore's Lab]_

" _What's with the long face?"_ Ash turned around to see a familliar blue Pokemon standing in the doorway. "What long face? I'm alright," he said.

" _Then why are you looking like you just ate a sour berry?"_ asked Greninja, sitting on the bed next to Ash, _"What are you even doing?"_

"Packing up to head back to Alola," said Ash, setting his backpack down and sitting next to the Ninja Pokemon, "Hoopa and his friends already left, so we'll be taking a plane back to Melemele Island." He paused before asking, "What about you?"

" _What do you think I'll be doing?"_ asked Greninja.

Ash looked down at the ground before answering, "Well... probably going back with Squishy and Zygarde to help deal with the Negative Energy vines all over Kalos."

" _Really?"_ said Greninja, a humerous light going off in his eyes.

"Well, yeah," said Ash, looking away, "I mean, you were still doing the mission when you got taken, and I imagine that you still have a bit of work to do. So, I guess you'll still-"

" _Ash, we're done with the mission."_

The young boy looked at his friend and said in a shocked voice, "What?"

Greninja rolled his eyes and said, _"We finished with the mission at least two weeks before I got captured. I was trying to find a way to find you when Team Flare and Team Skull ambushed me."_

Ash looked down, looking a little stupified and asked him, "What are you going to do now then?"

" _I'm not too sure."_ Greninja fell back onto the bed, _"It would be kinda nice to see your home. But then again, I'm not too sure. I've been really busy, but I want to keep on traveling with you. But at the same time, I want a vacation."_

"How about coming back with me to Alola then?" Greninja looked at his trainer as he continued, "It's honestly more like I'm on a break from traveling. Sure, the school's a little boring, but I still get to do battles. There's this thing called the Island Challenge that's pretty fun. And plus," he added in a whisper, "I think Lycanroc and Litten are starting to size you up."

" _Well, I could teach those kids a thing or two,"_ said Greninja, sounding like he was grinning, _"And plus. That Z-Move thing? I wanna try that out on something big. The Houndoom wasn't that big."_

"It was Mega Evolved," said Ash, raising an eyebrow.

" _Whatever."_

The two of them laughed for a bit, then Ash said, "So, you want to keep traveling with me?"

" _Sure do, Ashy-boy,"_ said Greninja, sitting up.

Ash grinned. "Then welcome back, buddy."

 **()**

"Greninja's coming back with us?" asked Kiawe, "Well, this is gonna be interesting! I've wanted to battle against Greninja ever since we rescued him."

 _*And I want to analyze that Z-Move!*_ said Rotomdex, zooming around Greninja and taking several pictures of him. Lycanroc and Litten were standing guard over Ash's things, but they were looking over at Greninja. He happened to notice them and shot them a wink.

"I think that Bond Phenomenon thing was pretty cool!" said Sophocoles, "Just how exactly did you do it?"

"Do you want me to explain it in Ash-talk or scientific terms?" asked Ash, "Because I can't do the second one."

"I think I can explain," said Clemont, his glasses flashing as he adjusted them, "Me and Professor Sycamore, after a little more research, found that Ash and Greninja recieved similar aura's after Greninja had fully evolved. Whenever they start sharing similar feelings, like getting excited during a battle, their aura's combine."

"What's an aura?" asked Mallow.

"It's like your life-force," said Ash, causing everyone, including Greninja to look at him as he said, "You can sense things with it and control if you really work hard, and sometimes, although it's a bit rare, you and another person's aura match and you're connected." Noticing everyone's slightly shocked stares, he said, "What? You can learn stuff other than going to school. A journey is a great learning experience."

"I have to agree with that," said Clemont.

" _But how'd you know that?"_ asked Greninja.

" _Met a telepathic Lucario whose previous master cold control his aura. I could too for a bit. I think I still have the gloves at home. Then I met a Riolu in Sinnoh that could use Aura Sphere. Our aura's were alike too. Helped a lot when he got kidnapped."_

" _You're never gonna have a boring life, are you?"_

" _Probably not."_

"Uh, Ash?" Ash jolted when Lillie asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," said Ash, nevously laughing as he rubbed the back of his head, "I forget that you guys can't hear me or Greninja."

"I think the telepathy thing is pretty cool," said Lana, "You're like a Legendary Pokemon."

"Seriously?!" asked everyone but Ash and Greninja.

"Just kidding."

"i'm not sure I would compare myself with a Legendary Pokemon," said Ash, his head tilting to the side slightly, "but there are a lot that are telepathic. Right guys?"

Clemont, Bonnie and Serena nodded. "Yeah!" said Bonnie, "Like Squishy!" She held up the green Pokemon.

" _And I am a Legendary,"_ said Squishy.

"So, she was half kidding," said Mallow.

"I guess," said Lana.

Professor Kukui checked his watch and said, "About an hour before our flight leaves. You sure you don't want to come with us, Serena?"

"If I show up at the Pokemon School," said Serena, looking at the Alola Region professor, "Then I might just be staying for a little while."

"Alright then!" said Professor Kukui, "Let's get going class!"

 **()**

As the class started going down the escalator, Ash stayed at the top to say goodbye to his Kalos friends. "Well, guys," he said, "Thanks for helping out."

"Glad we could help," said Clemont, "Hope you can visit again soon."

"When we meet again," said Bonnie, grinning happily, "I'll be a Pokemon trainer!"

"And when we do," Ash told her, "we'll have a battle!"

Bonnie nodded and then Ash turned to Serena. "So, will you be coming?" he asked her.

"Maybe," responded Serena, "I might want to stay at home for a while. Just to rest from my journey through Hoenn. But when you do see me again, I'll be able to show you how I've grown." She grinned happily.

"Can't wait!" said Ash, grinning in return.

" _Hey Ashy-boy! Ten minutes!"_ called out Greninja from the bottom the escalator.

"See you guys later!" said Ash. He stepped on the escalator, starting to go down. He noticed at the corner of his eye that Serena was standing at the top of the escalator. A sudden memory flashed through his mind and his smile got wider.

"Hey, Serena!" Ash suddenly yelled, turning his head, "One last thing!"

Serena's face turned to confusion as Ash started running up the escalator steps towards her. Fianlly, he reached the top, leaned forward...

...and kissed her like she had done to him a long time ago. When the escalator started downwards again, Ash could see everyone's faces. Clemont and Bonnie were beet red and Clemont had frozen, while Bonnie's hands were up against her cheeks in shock, Dedenne mocking her on the top of her head and Squishy's one black eye very small with shock. Serena was red too, but her face was strangely enough blank and her eyes were wide and shining.

Ash could feel his face was hot with embarrasment, but he gave a grin and yelled, "Now we're even!"

Serena stayed frozen for a few more moments, then her blushing face grew a smile and she waved and yelled, "I'll see you in Alola, Ash!"

Clemont was still standing in shock, but bonnie was cheering and yelling, "He kissed her! He kissed her! He kissed her! Yaaaaayyyyy!"

When Ash reached the bottom of the escalator, he turned to see his Pokemon team staring at him. Lycanroc's, Litten's and Pikachu's jaws were dropped and their eyes were wide. Even Rowlet was wide awake and staring at Ash in shock as well. Greninja was just frozen, but Ash could hear his voice in his mind. _"What- when- how- where- who- what- did you just? You're not-? You just-?"_

" _Very eloquent, aren't you, Greninja?"_ asked Ash, grinning at his friend, picking up his backpack and Rowlet and walking towards the rest of the class, who were waiting for him at the door, but hadn't seen the exchange between them.

" _When was the last time you kissed?"_

" _When Serena left for Hoenn. Now then, shall we head to Alola?"_

" _Alright, as long as you din't give me more shocks like that. Do you really love her?"_

" _What did I just do?"_ responded Ash. He then turned to the rest of his class and said, "Alright guys! Let's go back to Alola!"

 **And that's it! Sorry it took so long, but Writer's Block is a pain. Hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I did!**

 **I will see you guys later! Byeeeee!**


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